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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25610785">World's Best</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganskye/pseuds/morganskye'>morganskye</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ghostbusters - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adorable, Family Feels, First Meetings, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:41:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25610785</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganskye/pseuds/morganskye</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray owns a bookshop. Kylie likes books. Their friendship was fate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>World's Best</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written for my friend Jenny during a 2019 gift exchange.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ray noticed everyone who came into his shop, and not just because it was his job. One </span>
  <span>glance would usually tell him what the person was looking for and how serious they were about what they were looking for. It was usually a fair split between honestly curious and over-the-top nutjob (which honestly was saying a lot for his line of work). When a young woman came in one afternoon, he was intrigued. He could tell immediately she was bright, forward thinking, and had a thirst for knowledge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wandered the aisles, taking in every title and tome. He considered asking if she needed help, but Ray didn’t think she needed it. Soon enough she came to the counter with a 3rd edition copy of Pellier’s Monsters and Beasts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“An excellent choice. We have the 4th edition as well-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have that one, but there’s some info I need from this one,” she said. Her words were brisk but not unfriendly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like having a good library huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s necessary. I have to say, your bookstore is incredible!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First time in?” he grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. I know I’ll be back. This really beats trying to find it by hunting online.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On...line?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman smiled. “The internet. It’s kind of a new thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The conversation lagged, so she asked for her total.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, $26.30.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She paid and took her purchase, holding it tightly against her chest. “Thanks!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come back anytime!” Ray called as she walked out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Anytime’ turned out to be just three days later. When the door jingled, Ray looked up and grinned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey there!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi,” she smiled. “I need another book.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what we’re here for. What’s the title?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wellll...I don’t know. I need something about 17th century vampires.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that all?” he grinned. “Follow me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Two hours later she left the shop with a book she paid for and three more he let her borrow. She tried to protest, but Ray insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve a good vibe kiddo.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” she asked, eyebrows high. “Most people think I’m just a weird goth or freak.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged. “Even if you are, what does that matter? Good people are good people, no matter what they look like.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at him for a moment, then stuck her hand out to shake his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Kylie Griffin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ray Stantz,” he offered, shaking her hand. “Enjoy the books Ms. Griffin. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You will. You most definitely will!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Over the next few weeks Kylie came in almost every day, either to return a book, get another one, or just talk to Ray between customers. She came to trust his judgement and knowledge, while he enjoyed having a true kindred spirit to talk to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what you got from Dupree’s Riddle? I always thought it was a codex to solve other riddles he wrote,” Kylie said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was perched on a stool behind the counter while Ray shelved new books. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to think, but if you read his riddle book that he wrote the year after, you can tell that he wasn’t smart enough to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> deep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...huh. Now that you mention it, his other works aren’t very hard to solve.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly. You know what I think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked up at him and grinned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ghostwriter!” they said at the same time, laughing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So if Dupree didn’t write his great riddle to end all riddles, who did?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ray came over to the counter and leaned on it, whispering in a conspiratory voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> heard…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Without discussing it, Kylie began to work at the shop. First it was once a week, then three times, then whenever she could between classes. Ray had a short tax form and a paycheck waiting for her one day, and that was that. The ‘do you want to’ conversation never happened, but it didn’t need to. Their friendship had blossomed into something easy and simple, like a father and daughter. In fact Kylie saw him as the father she never had, although she wouldn’t tell him that...not with words. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ray sat in his back office and grinned. Since Kylie had come along the shop was cleaner, better stocked, and attracting new clients thanks to her ‘website’. He still wasn’t sure what that was, but she did and that’s all that mattered. She’d even started taking on some of his research duties for the Ghostbusters. That alone made her worth her weight in gold in his mind...but...but she’d asked about taking on duties at the Firehouse...maybe even going on a few calls. The idea of it made his stomach turn. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she could do it. The problem was that he knew she could, which meant she’d be putting herself in danger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed and shook his head. Ray knew he couldn’t hold her back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The kid’s got talent</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’d told Egon just a few days before. Sighing again he stood and walked out of the shop floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kylie? If you want to do more with the Ghostbusters, I’ll support you. Just..please be careful, ok?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of replying she chirped like a kid on Christmas morning who finally got the pony they’d been begging for. Ray grinned and made a mental note to talk to Egon about making a pack better suited to her than their 40 pound monsters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can’t have the kiddo breaking her back on her first day…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kylie had been with the bookstore (and by default the Ghostbusters) for over a year when Ray spotted a wrapped package on his desk. After giving it a quick PKE sweep he opened it up. Holding the object closely, he sat with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was a simple white coffee cup with black letters. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>World’s Best Dad</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A quick glance at the calendar told him it was Father’s Day. Wiping a few tears away, he got up to thank her for the gift. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I appreciate it kiddo,” he said softly, patting her head gently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anytime boss,” she replied, smiling. “Anytime.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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